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TO THE PEOPLE OF SUFFOLK CO. 



INFORMATION, 

ACQUIRED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITY, 



WKH KE8TECT TO THE 



INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY. 



WILLIAM JAGGER. 



NEW YOKK: 
R. CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER, 53 VESEY STREET: 

1 856. 



TO THE PEOPLE OF SUFFOLK CO. 



INFORMATION, 

ACQUIRED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITY, 



■WITH RESPECT TO THE 



INSTITUTION OF SLAYER! 



BY 

WILLIAM JAGGER. 



NEW YORK: 
R. CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER, 53 VESEY STREET. 

185 6. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 

WILLIAM JAGGEE, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for th* Southern 
District of New York. 

r 



K. CRAIGHEAD, Printer and SUreotyper, 
5i Vesey Street, JV. Y. 






TO THE PEOPLE OF SUFFOLK COUNTY. 



As there is so much said about Slavery, and the sufferings of the 
slaves, and so great a difference in the statements with respect to 
them, it appears difficult to know the truth. As I am well known 
in the county, and last year travelled in the State of Maryland, 
Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, 
Kentucky, and Missouri, and was in these nine Slave States 
nearly five months, and did endeavor to find out the true state 
of the slaves, and conversed with quite a number of them, and 
with many persons who formely lived in the Free States then residing 
in the Slave States, I presume you would be gratified to know what 
I have to say concerning them. Therefore I will first speak of the 
abolitionists, as they have so long agitated the subject of slavery. 

It is more than twenty years since the abolitionists have been 
agitating the subject of slavery, and speaking of the suffering of the 
slaves. Papers have been published, and pamphlets with the slave 
pictured out, describing his suffering condition. And these circula- 
ted, and the slaveholders called aristocrats, till impressions have 
been, made and opinions formed, very unfavorable to the institutions 
of slavery, and to slaveholders. By which they have done, I believe 
great injustice to the slaveholders by misrepresenting them, and 
injured the slaves much. And I believe they have only taken a 
few cases as they found them scattered over a great surface of 
country, and held them up to judge the whole of the slaveholders 
by. And these cases, I believe, they have much exaggerated in the 
way they have related them. 

Suppose a few persons in the Slave States should take the 
drunkards, rowdies, murderers, and hangmen in the State of New 



York, and hold them up to the people in the Slave States for twenty- 
years as a true representation of the whole people in the State of 
New York ! 

If these were held up for twenty years, before the people there, 
and papers published, to show it, and pamphlets describing the 
rowdies, drunkards, murderers, and hangmen, by pictures drawn to 
represent them, I presume we should all of us pronounce it an 
untrue representation of the people of the State, and pronounce it as 
false. Although we knew it was false, still if they continued to 
hold us up for twenty year as such in the Slave States, it would 
make impressions on the minds of the people there, and opinions 
would be formed by many persons that the people were rowdies, 
drunkards, murderers, and hangmen, in the State of New York, and 
they would look upon us as an awful wretched people. 

Should an investigation be made, to show the people of the South, 
that a few persons there had misrepresented us, and that we 
could prove it by thousands and tens of thousands of the people in 
the state, that it was false to hold us up as rowdies, drunkards, 
murderers, and hangmen, they would be surprised at the deception 
practised upon them. 

And if the people from the Slave States had by thousands come 
to the State of New York, and lived in the state for years, and we 
could prove by them that the people of the State of New York was 
not made up of rowdies, drunkards, murderers, and hangmen, they 
would be still more surprised. 

And I believe the abolitionists in their publications have misre- 
presented the slaveholders and the treatment of the slaves, and the 
sufferings of them for twenty years. As much as if the people in 
the Slave States had for twenty years been publishing papers and 
pamphlets and pictures and likenesses describing the rowdies drunk- 
ards, murderers, and hangmen of the State as a representation 
of the whole population of the State of New York. 

And they can, I believe, prove it by thousands and tens of thou- 
sands of the people there, and by thousands of people who did live 
in the Free States, but now reside in the Slave States, that the 
abolitionists have, for twenty years, been misrepresenting the slave- 



holders and the treatment of the slaves, and the sufferings of them 
hy their papers and pamphlets, and their pictures drawn to describe 
their sufferings. 

Some measures should be taken to have this matter investigated, 
that the people may no longer be misled by them. 

I will now state what I know of the slaves. I believe, from the 
best authority, they are as happy as the white people are North or 
South, and do not labor as hard as the white people do in the Free 
States. And when they are sick, they have good care taken of them. 
This information I had from men, who formerly resided in the Free 
States, but who now reside in the Slave States. I took pains to find 
these men, for the purpose of inquiring about the treatment of the 
slaves, and I believe found them in every place I visited. I found 
old men middle-aged, and young men ; and I conversed with quite a 
number of them about the slaves. I believe every one of them 
said the slaves had a plenty to eat, plenty of clothes to wear, were 
well treated, did not labor as hard as the people do in the Free 
States, and, when sick, were taken good care of. In the time of har- 
vest and haying, people in the Free States work hard ; so it is in 
the season of gathering in the crop of cane for molasses and sugar. 
If it is not done in the season, it becomes sour, and the crops much 
injured. So all expect to labor and do what they can to save the 
crop ; but you may depend, it is a great mistake to say the slaves 
labor hard at all seasons, or to say they are not well treated, do 
not have a plenty of food and clothes, or are not taken good care 
of when sick. The slaves are too valuable to injure by over- 
much labor, or to be made to suffer for anything ; or to labor when 
they are not in health. 

If a man does a great days work, which he can do for a short 
time, but soon finds that he feels bad and must have rest, to recruit; 
he must stop to gain what he has lost by over effort. If he does not, 
but continues to over-labor, he impairs his constitution, and finally 
cannot do anything. It is with the slave as with the free-man ; if 
he does more than his constitution can bear, the master is the loser ; 
and he knows it ; and as a slave is worth from eight to fourteen hun- 
dred dollars, you may depend that this great value in a person will 
protect him from doing anything more than a moderate day's labor ; 



6 

or, if slaves are injured in any way, there is a great loss if iliey do 
not recover. 

And you may be assured that these men from the Free States do 
much oppose the North's interfering with the South concerning the 
slaves. Many of them have lived South for years; some forty, 
thirty, twenty, ten, five, and one year. They of course know the 
whole system of slavery, and they say the abolitionists do the slaves 
and free-colored people much injury ; as the slaves are not permitted 
to go from home as they did some twenty-five years ago, for fear they 
will encounter an abolitionist. And they must not be out at night as 
late as they were before. The free-colored people could formerly go, 
I was informed, where they pleased, and return as the white people. 
It was only necessary to have their freedom papers, and show them, 
and that was all that was required of them. Now, they must, on leav- 
ing a place, get a person to go with them to the conductor of the 
railroad, and become security to pay the value of a slave in case it 
should be proved he was a run away slave. 

I asked a person from one of the Eastern States, who had resided 
there six years, and taught school for five years, what he thought 
of the abolitionists and slavery. 

He said he did not own a slave, and did not expect to ; but he 
thought the North had hetter let the South alone, mind their own 
business, and take care of their own poor ; for there were a good many 
white persons there that were not as well off as the slaves ; and as to 
colored people, they did not begin to compare with the slaves. 

Now this school-teacher was a smart, active man, and was well 
acquainted with the whole operation of the system of Slavery, and was 
about thirty-five years old. I hope we shall take the advice of the 
school-teacher, and let the South alone, lest by our interfering they 
may have to pass more acts for the protection of their slaves, that 
will operate much to the injury of them. 

Another person from a Free State, who for twenty years, as he 
stated to me, has resided in a Slave State, and every year has come 
to the North, hearing so much said about the slaves, took pains to 
examine the situation of the colored people in the Free States ; he 
said he could find more suffering in one day in the city of Phila- 
delphia and in the city of New York, among the colored people, 



than he could find in twenty years in the Slave States. This was 
an intelligent merchant. Quite a number of others related to me simi- 
lar statements, of living formerly in Free States and then residing 
in a Slave State, and going North, some of them every year, otheis 
not so often. 

An engineer from one of the Eastern States, who had resided in 
Slave States several years, had been an overseer, did quite a 
number of different jobs of work, and had worked with a great 
many slaves, said he could not see how their situation would be 
bettered if they were set at liberty. lie believed they would be 
in a much worse state if they were set free. If their masters would 
give him the power to do so, he woiild not be responsible for 
the great amount of suffering that he believed would follow upon 
them. These men from the Free States said the Abolitionists had 
much abused the people at the South, and greatly misrepresented 
them, and injured the Slave and the Free ones. 

I believe there is no doubt but the abolitionists have done the 
slaves and free-colored people much harm, and greatly abused and 
misrepresented the people at the South. I have spoken with the 
slaves and free-colored about the abolitionists, and what they had 
done for them ; a slave said, "the abolitionists have done us a great 
injury, and I suppose they will continue to do so." 

In conversation with a free-colored person about the abolitionists 
and what they had done for the colored people, 

He said, " They have done us a great injury." 

I then said, " If the abolitionists have done you an injury, ought 
they not to be put down ?" 

He said, " To be sure they ought to be put down." 

Another said, " The abolitionists have not done us any good, but 
have done us much harm." 

I was last year in the City of Quincy, in the State of Illinois — 
it lies on the Mississippi river — in conversation with a smart colored 
free man, he said he had resided there twenty years, and when lie 
first went there to live, the slaves from the State of Missouri, lying 
on the west side of the river, did frequently cross it, and traded 
at the stores ; he said they went as far as Chicago, and returned to 



their masters. But since the abolitionists had induced some of them 
to run away, the slaves were not permitted to cross the river, and 
they did not come to Quincy ; so we see they are deprived of the 
pleasure of going from home, as they used to do. 

Last fall, in the city of Chicago, I noticed several colored people 
did not appear to have employment. I said to one of them — 

" You do not seem to have anything to do ?" 

He spoke of the abolitionists, and said, "they got^colored peo- 
ple there, and left them, and he began to find them out ; and that it 
was popular to talk of abolitionists. He believed some of them got 
an office by it." 

I thought this colored person was a slave. 

The slaves, it appears to me, feel that they were well provided 
for, and that their masters are their friends ; and I believe they are 
satisfied with their situation : and, that a great number of them do not 
wish to be free. I put leading questions to them to get them into 
conversation. I said to a smart, active-looking slave, could you get 
a living if you were free ? 

He said he could get a living if he were free. He also said he 
would rather, by half, have a master. He said he should have to 
work anyhow. He spoke of his master, and of his having much to 
do, and that he had one plantation in South Carolina and another in 
Florida. He said they had an overseer, and were all done planting, 
and that every one of them had an acre of ground apiece, and more too. 

I asked him " if the other slaves had rather have a master than 
to be free 1 

He said, " To be sure, they had." 

Another slave, whom I was talking with, said he would not 
change his situation for any other place, unless he was sure of doing 
well. 

Another slave said he was thirty years of age, and had a good 
master, and never saw a hard day. 

Another said he had all he wanted, and he could not see what any 
one wanted more for. 

I said to a slave, " I suppose you have friends that would fight for 
vou V 



He said he knew his master would fight for him. 

Another smart-looking slave said he did not know that he ever 
saw a free man. He then said they could not buy or sell bis mas- 
ter, but he was not free, for he was a slave to his business. 

Another slave said, " We have a very kind master." 

Another said, "our master is a very good man ;" and I do not think 
I heard one slave say his master was a hard master, but many spoke 
well of their masters. 

As I was walking in the street I met a colored person. I spoke to 
him. He stopped ; and while we were there talking another colored 
person passed by us. I noticed his dress was not as good as the 
person I was speaking too. I said to him, " Why is it his clothes 
are not as good as yours ?" 

He said, " I am thinking he is a free man." 

I then asked him, if the free-colored persons did not dress as well 
as the slaves ? 

He said, the free-colored persons did not dress as well as the 
slaves. 

I have been told, by quite a number of slaves, that part of the 
free-colored persons did not do as well as the slaves. 

As to the separating of families, selling the father in one place, his 
wife in another, and the children to different persons, it appears to be 
the hardest part of the institution ; and such is the feeling of the white 
people. They are opposed to the separating of a family. Public 
opinion requires of a person who has a family to sell, that he should 
sell them together — sell them to one person — and that they be kept 
together. As there are so many that want to purchase slaves, it ap- 
pears the family is most always sold together. If there are small 
children, a slaveholder told me, the mother was the best person to 
take care of them ; so the purchaser would rather have them together. 
A Free-State man, who has for years resided in a Slave State, said 
he had seen thousands sold, but never saw a family separated. They 
were sold together. He said it was the case sometimes, however, 
that families were separated, but he never saw such a case. And 
from good authority I state, a family is not often separated when 
sold. But habit and custom seem to prepare the slaves' minds for 



10 

being sold when necessary, and they do not appear to regard it. I 
have spoken to quite a number about their masters selling them. I 
asked one if his master would sell him. 

He said, he did not know. 

I asked him, if he had any objections to my buying him. 

He said he did not know that he had any. 

I asked another if his master would sell him. 

He said, he guessed they had no more hands than they wanted. 

I asked him if he was willing I should buy him. 

He said he did not care. 

I asked a boy, about 12 years of age, if his master would sell him. 

He said his master was dead, and he belonged to his mistress. 

I said, I shall buy you. 

He said he did not care if I did. 

After that I saw the boy again, and asked him if I should buy 
him. 

He said, " Yes, sir, buy me." 

And all I spoke to about their masters selling them, and of my 
buying them, scarcely appeared to object to being sold. 

It appeared they were treated well where they were, and of course 
expected to be if they went to another place. I was informed that 
the slaves do not care if they are sold, as they like to go from one 
place to another. I have seen a number sold at auction. They did 
not appear to mind it. "We see our young men leaving their homes, 
and going hundreds of miles. Others, a number of thousands. Fa- 
milies are scattered apart. I have known boys from several familes 
to leave their homes and, as it is termed, to run away, as they went 
without the knowledge of their parents, although they were, I believe, 
treated well at home 1 . So do not let us think it strange that there are 
colored persons who like to travel. 

I was informed there are men who treat their slaves badly ; but, I 
believe there are as many men in the Free States that would treat 
a team of horses badly, or suffer it to be done, that was worth sixteen 
hundred or two thousand dollars, as there are men who treat or 
suffer their slaves to be treated badly. Now I do not believe there 
are many men that would treat such a team cf horses badly, or 
suffer it to be done. So I believe there are only a very few men 



11 



con- 



who treat their slaves badly, or suffer it to be done. On the „ 
trary, I believe they treat them very well. I have frequently heard 
them spoken to kindly but never heard them spoken harshly to. 

I have been told by slaveholders, if a slave does wrong and is 
whipped for it, he appears to feel that he deserved it, and seems 
satisfied with it, and it does not do him any hurt. But if a slave is 
whipped when he does not deserve it, it does him a great injury. 
They feel their master is their friend ; and if he whips them, or 
suffers them to be whipped or abused, when they do not deserve it, 
the slave feels his master does not care for him ; and the effect is, 
he becomes careless, heedless, and has very little, if any, regard for his 
master's interest. They say such a slave is spoiled, and of little value 
to his master; and if he has marks upon him that show he 
has been whipped, he will not sell for as much by a number of 
hundred dollars. So to abuse their slaves, the owners suffer a great 
loss. My father and mother had slaves; one of them, without 
liberty, used to go from home, and return when she pleased, and 
was saucy. Father several times corrected her, but she did not re- 
form, and he finally sold her as a bad one. The other slaves were 
very good, and were treated kindly, and were respected by the 
family. And I knew families that owned slaves that were treated 
well. These slaves thought much of their master and the family, 
and when in years, for their good conduct, had the title of uncles and 
aunts. And so it is, I am told, in the slave states. The old ones 
are called uncles and aunts. And in the slave states there are, as 
I was informed, some very bad slaves, and their acts prove them 
as such. They, of course, are corrected. 

From my knowledge of the slave, I believe very few would 
run away into the free states north, were they not persuaded to do 
so by white people. It appears they have an opinion that the 
people in the free states do not treat the colored people as well as 
they do in the slave states. I have heard quite a number of colored 
persons speak of the people in the free states not treating the colored 
people as well as they are treated in the slave states. One said to me, 
" The colored people have more liberty in the free states than 
we have here." But having understood they did not have as much 
bread as they wanted, 



12 

" That liberty/ 7 said he, " that does not give plenty of bread r I 
do not want." He said he was not a slave. 

When in the South, I became acquainted with a minister of the 
gospel, whom I heard preach a number of times. He was from one 
of the free States. As I intended to publish a pamplet, or a small 
book upon the subject of slavery, I mentioned it to this minister, 
and requested him to write me his views upon the subject of slavery. 
He did so. I feel confident to say, that he gave me the liberty 
to publish his name. Quite a number of other persons whom I spoke 
with about slavery, also gave me liberty to publish their names ; but 
I did not think it necessary. 

I here present you the remarks of the minister alluded to. He 
says : — 

" An appeal to the present condition and prospects of colored 
people North and South, establishes this fact, that as a class, they 
are happier in the South. The same test proves that slaves are 
happier than free colored people. If, therefore, slaves could be set 
free it would be worse for them. The efforts of abolitionists, there- 
fore, if successful, would only be to the injury of the slaves. 

Threatened danger always makes us more vigilant. The aboli- 
tionists threaten danger to slaveholders ; therefore slaveholders arc 
more vigilant of their slaves, and are compelled to enact more 
stringent laws for their regulation. In this way also abolitionists 
injure slaves. Abolitionists strive to make slaves discontented with 
their condition ; and discontent, so far as it extends, is destructive of 
happiness. Therefore the efforts of abolitionists are destructive of 
the happiness of the slaves. 

" I lived one year on a plantation in Virginia, and three months 
on a plantation in Florida ; and in both instances had abundant 
opportunity to witness the practical workings of slavery. The 
results of these observations are : — 

1st. Slaves do not have so hard labor to perform as the free 
negroes at the North. 

2nd. The temporal wants of the slaves are much more amply 
supplied than those of free negroes. 

3rd. In sickness slaves are immeasurably better attended to than 
free negroes at the North. 



13 



Ift. Masters generally eare more for the religions interests of 
' On negroes than Northern men ge„eral, y do for the free eg oe< 

IX£ - The com ™ on » ^ » ~* - ■£ - 

This minister was a kind anrl T k-i: i 

was a kind, and, I believe, a good man, and had 

a good opportunity to understand what he states. And every per 
son who desires to have the truth on this important subject, should 
reflect upon what he says. 

The case is very different, I believe, with some others, who write 

upon the subject of slavery. Those who get office by it do, of course 

have their articles published in the newspapers by paying for it, and 

some persons appear not to regard what they write or publish The 

minister did not receive anything for writing the article he gave me 

Considerable number of persons whom I spoke with about the 

slaves, said they were abolitionists when they went to live in the 

slave state, and believed the slaves were abused. But after living 

there for some time, they saw the slaves were treated well, and weH 

provided for, and enjoyed themselves better than the free colored 

people in the free states. They therefore changed their opinion and 

now oppose the abolitionists, believing they do much hurt to' the 

slaves, and the free-colorred people, and misrepresent and abuse the 

people of the South. 

After all that has been said about separating of families, and 
the abuse of slaves, by whipping, driving, and beating them it 
appears to me that the slaves are contented to live as they are, 
with a very few exceptions ; and, that the free-colored people would 
rather live in the Slave States than in the Free States; and, that 
the most of their trouble and inconvenience has been brought upon 
them by the abolitionists. 

^ The South have had to pass laws to prevent the slaves from run- 
ning away. These laws operate to the injury of the slaves and the 
free-colored people. 

It appeared to me, that the slaves and free-colored people, seening 
it just and proper that such laws should have been passed, try 
to be reconciled to them ; and, that they understand the abolitionists 
were the cause of their being passed. 



14 

To show that the slaves are contented, and that the free-colored 
people would rather live in the Slave States than in the Free States, 
we will see where Ave find them, and then speak of the opportunity 
the slaves have to rftn away, if they wish to do so. 

The six Eastern States : Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas- 
sachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have 65,440 square miles ; 
and by the census taken in 1850; they have 23,021 colored people 
in the six states. And by the census taken in 1790 they had 17,042 
colored people. 

The State of New York has 46,220 square miles, and 49,069 free 
colored people. 

The six States and New York have 111,660 square miles, and 
72,090 free-colored people. 

Maryland has 10,755 square miles, and 74.723 free-colored people, 
and 90,36S slaves, and is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania. 

Pennsylvania, a Free State, has 46,215 square miles, and has 
53,626 free- colored people. 

By this we see that the State of Maryland has not one quarter a& 
many square miles as the State of Pennsylvania. 

And it also shows that Maryland has 21,096 free-colored people 
more than there is in the State of Pennsylvania, and, that it has 
2,633 more free colored people than the six Eastern States and the 
State of New York combined. 

I think this is pretty good proof that the free-colored people 
had rather live in Maryland, a Slave State, than in Pennsylvania, a 
Free State, or the State of New York, or the six eastern States. 

For we find them there, and they have only to step over the line, 
and they are in Pennsylvania, a Free State, — as the States are 
separated by a line. But they, as appears to me, would rather live 
in a slave State than a Free State. 

Maryland, as we have stated, has 90,36S slaves, and what have 
they to do but to step over the line, and they are in the State of 
Pennsylvania, a Free State, and then start for the house of an aboli- 
tionist, who appears ready to help them to find a place to hide, or 
to aid them to travel to the North ! 

I think this another pretty good proof that the slaves would 
rather live with their masters than to leave them. 



15 



Del aware , a Slave State, has 2,068 square miles, and a population 
of 18,090 free-colored people, and 2,290 slaves. It is partly bounded 
on the north by Pennsylvania ; on the east by a bay that separates 
it from the State of New Jersey. 

Pennsylvania would make twenty-two states as large as Dela- 
ware ; yet it has not got three times as many free-colored people as 
Delaware. The free-colored people have only to pass over the 
line into Pennsylvania, and they are in a free state ; or, to cross the 
bay and land on the shore of the State of New Jersey. But, it ap- 
pears, they would rather live in Delaware, a slave state. 

And the 2,290 slaves in Delaware, it appears to me, would rather 
live with their masters, or they would oftener cross the line into 
Pennsylvania, and run away ; or take a boat, and cross the bay, and 
land upon the shore of New Jersey, a free state. 
_ This is good proof, to me, that the free-colored people had rather 
live in the slave states than in the free states; and, that the slaves 
are well treated, and like their situation, or they would run away. 

And if the slaves were whipped, beat, and drove about, as some 
say they are, the free-colored people would not like to see it, and 
they would, I believe, leave the state. 

In the six Eastefn States, in 1S50, as we have seen, there 

were free-colored .... pe opl e> 23 ,021 

In the State of New York, free-colored - - « 49,090 

la the State of New Jersey, free-colored - " 23,810 

In the State of Pennsylvania, free-colored - " 53 62G 



The whole number of free-colored people in nine States, - - 149,45 

In the State of Delaware the number of free-colored 

P eo P leis > 18,073 

In the State of Maryland, free-colored - - people, 74,723 

In the District of Columbia, free-colored - « 10,059 

In the State of Virginia, free-colored " 54,333 



In the three States and District of Columbia - - 157,188 



16 

% 
Here we have the number of free colored people in three 

Slave States and the District of Columbia, - - 157,188 

Free colored people in nine Free States, ... 149,447 



7,741 

By subtracting the number in the Slave States from the Free 
States, as we see, we find seven thousand seven hundred and forty- 
one free colored people more than we find in nine Free States. 

Virginia has 472,528 slaves, and is bounded on the north partly 
by Pennsylvania, and partly by the Ohio river. The slaves, there- 
fore, could very easily, I think, run away if they wished to do so. 

I have been informed, however, that only a few do run away. 

I have also been told that those who do run away, it is believed, 
were persuaded away by the abolitionists. 

I presume some persons will try to give a reason why so many 
free-colored people live in the slave states. They may say they 
were born there, and having friends do not wish to leave them. 
But we see white people leave their homes and friends, and go thou- 
sands of miles away ! 

The free-colored people in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia have 
only to cross a line, as we have seen, and they are in a free state. 
And we may depend upon it that quite a number of free-colored 
people, men and women, have been to the free states to find labor 
and to live there. But finding they were not treated by the 
white people as well as they were in the slave states, they returned 
again to the slave states. 

The character of the people in the Free States, appears to be well 
known by the free-colored people, and part of the slaves ; and that 
character is, that they do not treat the colored people as well as 
they are treated in the slave states. 

I have frequently heard the colored people speak of the treatment 
they received from the people in the free states ; they say they do 
not treat colored people as well in the free states as the white people 
treat them in the slave states, and that that is the reason we find so 
many free-colored people in the slave states. 

If there were as many free-colored people in the State of Penn- 
sylvania as there are in the State of Delaware, according to the size 



lr 

of the state, there would be near four hundred thousand free-colored 
people in the State of Pennsylvania, 

If Pennsylvania had as many free colored people as the State of 
Maryland, according to the size of the state, there would be more 
than three hundred thousand free- colored people in the State of 
Pennsylvania. 

It appears to me, I have given you pretty good proof that the 
free-colored people had rather live in the slave states than in the 
free states. 

I am informed only a few of the slaves run away from the 
States of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. I think that it is pretty 
good proof that the slaves are very well contented with their 
situation. 

Please to reflect upon it, that Delaware and Virginia are bounded 
partly on the north by a free state : and, that Maryland also, is 
bounded on the north by a free state : so it appears their slaves 
could run away if they wished to do so. 

I wish to call your attention again to the six Eastern States and 
the colored people there. 

As we have stated, then, there were in the six Eastern States, in 
1850, 23,021 colored people ; and by the census taken in 1790, there 
were of slaves and free-colored people, 17,042. By this we see that 
in sixty years, the 17,042 colored people have increased only 5979. 

I am informed the natural increase should have been more than 
70,000 in these six states. 

And part of these 5,979, I believe, are runaway slaves. 

Some persons may believe, that in sixty years, there have been 
5,979 runaway slaves in the Eastern States. 

If that number have been made up by runaway slaves, then it 
appears the 17,042 colored persons that were in these six states in 
1790, have not increased at all. 

That there should not have been a greater increase is wonderful. 
It appears to me, there must be something wrong, in some form or 
other. 

I do not wish to condemn any person, or people, before I have the 
proof; but, for so many people to be in six states for sixty years, 
and then find so small an increase, is very mysterious. 

9 



18 

Slaves did, as I have been informed, run away from the state of 
New York some forty or fifty years ago, and fled to the Eastern 
States. 

Some fifty years ago my uncle had one run away there, and he 
went there after him ; so it appears these Eastern States have, for 
fifty years or more, had an increase of colored people by runaway 
slaves. 

And by some process or other, it appears they have managed to 
suppress the increase of the colored people. 

That in sixty years, the 17,042 have increased only 5,979, with 
all the runaway slaves that have been added to their number, is, I 
repeat it, very mysterious. 

I was in Lynn, Massachusetts, some fourteen years ago, and tar- 
ried there about two weeks. I saw there two colored persons 
engaged in sawing wood. I spoke to them several times. 

They said they formerly lived in Pennsylvania ; but thinking the 
people in Boston were friendly to the colored people, they went there 
and took board, and spent several days travelling about the city 
to find work. They applied at a number of places where men 
were employed to labor, and asked to be employed. But no 
one would employ them, and they finally paid most all the money 
they had for board. 

They were at length advised to go in the country to look for labor, 
and found it was very scarce. They finally took to sawing wood to 
get money enough to defray their expenses to Philadelphia. 

They spoke of the abolitionists, and said, it was all talk; they did 
not care much, after all, for the colored people. 

One of them, I believe, was a runaway slave, and the other went 
to Boston with him to help him. 

The free-colored people in the slave states think the free states a 
hard place for the colored people. 

And it appears to be well understood by part of the slaves, that 
the free states is a hard place for the colored people, and they do not 
wish to live in them. 

I believe the New England States will not have many more run- 
away slaves to increase the number of colored people among them, 
for I believe the slaves begin to know better then to go there. And 



19 

as it appears to me, the people of the six eastern states after all do 
not care much for the colored people. 

I believe, if they continue to treat them as they have done, they 
will not increase but will decrease, and finally, there will be 
scarcely any colored people in them. 

The people of the South are doing much to improve the slaves. 
They say to them in substance, as I understand it : You are the de- 
scendants of a people that were, some fifteen hundred years ago, a 
great people, wise and learned in the arts. If you will try to im- 
prove yourselves we will give you an opportunity to do it, and places 
where you can learn trades. A nation to be great, must have me- 
chanics of different kinds to manufacture the numerous articles tbat 
are used. And in the South they are learning their slaves trades ; 
and, I believe, the slaves do much appreciate the effort that is made 
to improve them. 

I was several times surprised when I found the colored people 
were employed doing business that I never have seen done by 
colored persons in the free states. 

When travelling, I noticed colored carpenters and blacksmiths at 
work. At a place we stopped to breakfast were four large-sized, fine 
looking colored men at work, framing a house. Two others were at 
work in a shop, making doors and window frames. I went where 
they were at work ; they were worth looking at ; there were no white 
men there. 

The skirt of my coat was burnt. 

In the evening I went into a tailor's shop, and was surprised to find 
that they were all colored persons. I should not have gone in if I 
had known it, as I desired to have it well done, and never before 
saw a colored tailor. I asked the foreman if I could have it well 
done. He said I could. I left it, and returned. It was well done. 
Quite a number of times I have spoken of the work, and shown it, to 
prove that a colored man can do good w r ork. 

I have been in shops where colored people were employed in 
building wagons and different kinds of pleasure carriages, and making 
harness, and appeared to be at work on every part of the carriage. 
And in blacksmith shops where colored persons were employed, they 



20 

were doing, as it appeared, every part of the work that is done to 
iron a wagon, and different kinds of pleasure carriages. In these 
shops there were a number of white men at work ; I noticed, for that 
was my business there. The colored blacksmith appeared to un- 
derstand the work he was doing. And the colored carriage makers 
also appeared to do their work well. 

I was informed by a gentleman, that he was a manufacturer of 
wagons and all kinds of pleasure carriages, that he had twenty- 
two colored persons at work upon these carriages, and that the 
colored persons did the work iipon all parts of the carriage — paint, 
varnish, stitch leather, and make harness ; and, that they did the work 
as well as it was done by white men. 

I have seen shoemakers, masons, and men building docks and 
repairing them. I have also seen carmen, harness-makers, and men 
digging iron ore, and then casting that into pig-iron, and then casting 
the pig-iron into bar-iron, and then they did work some of the iron 
up in a blacksmith shop attached to the establishment. 

I have also seen colored men use the fire-engine, apparently with 
as much skill, and energy, and effect, as I have ever seen white men. 

I saw a white man, an engineer, who had worked at the business 
some years. He stated the number of colored men he had taught to 
be engineers, and it was quite a number. This attention to them 
elevated the colored people. The slaves told me they had an op- 
portunity to make considerable money for themselves, some twelve 
dollars, others twenty-five dollars, a year. This they use as they 
please. Their master provides all that is necessary for them. Me- 
chanics say they earn twice that sum, which tney have for their 
own benefit. 

I have several times travelled on steamboats, where the pilot was 
a colored man. The captain appeared to feel that the pilot was 
well acquainted with the business, for when we were going up the 
upper part of St. John's river, in Florida (it is the crookedest river 
I ever saw), the Captain's attention was taken up by looking for 
an opportunity to shoot alligators, and several times did he shoot at 
them, and the colored pilot did pilot the bo it, and all landed safe at 
Enterprise without the lea^t difficulty. And when we came back 



21 

we had a colored pilot, and the Captain, as hefore, was engaged in 
shooting alligators. We returned without the least difficulty, and 
landed at Pilatka.] 

When we went to St. Augustine there were two pilots. One had a 
spy -glass, which he used. The other piloted the hoat ; and we 
arrived safely there. I thought it a very difficult place to pilot a 
hoat after we left the sea and went into the bay. And when we 
returned, we had two colored pilots, and were landed at Savannah in 
Georgia. One of the engineers was a colored man, on each of the 
boats. 

The Captains of these boats appeared to place much confidence in 
the knowledge and skill of these colored pilots, for they did not ap- 
pear to feel it was necessary for them to have much of anything to 
do with the piloting of the boats. I spoke with the Captains about 
the colored pilots. The Captains said they were well acquainted 
with their business. And the colored pilots themselves appeared to 
feel that they were men of some importance and considerably ele- 
vated. 

I went to three different Sunday schools in Nashville, Tennessee, 
where colored children were taught to read. At other places, I was 
informed, they teach them to commit to memory verses in the Testa- 
ment and other good books. I met a colored boy in the street 
with a paper in his hand. I asked him if he could read ; he said 
yes, sir. I asked him to read. He did so ; and read very well. I 
met another colored boy with a paper. I asked him if he could 
read ; he said yes, sir. I asked him to read. He did so ; and he 
also read very well. 

I wish the people might see the great difference there is between 
the colored people in the Free States, and the Slave States, and 
what the South is doing to elevate the slaves. If they did see it, as 
it is, they would be greatly surprised to find the colored people South 
at work, as appears, at most all kinds of mechanical trades, and 
piloting the steamboats and acting as engineers. 

And when the people do turn their attention to it, with a 
determination to understand it, I believe it will put a stop to this 
agitation of slavery, and will not, I think, say the South are aristo- 



22 

crats, but are republicans, and show much regard for the poor by 
employing so many free colored people. 

What a company of missionaries can the South send to Africa ! 
Men taught to do, as appears, all kinds of work that is necessary 
to be done in a civilized and Christian community. 

A report made by the Colonization Society of Massachusetts, 
shows that the efforts of the missionaries for more than one hundred 
years in Africa did not accomplish but very little before the Coloni- 
zation Society established a colony of colored people in Africa. 

And the colony has done wonders, and are improving. From 
good authority I state it. 

And that project originated in a Slave State. The Slave States 
furnished all the people, and most of the money, so I am in- 
formed. 

The efforts of the South to teach the colored people, show and 
prove that as a people they are capable of great improvement. And 
may improve till they are, as they were some fifteen hundred years 
ago, learned in arts and science. There is no excuse for the six 
Eastern States and New York to neglect them as they have done, 
and to employ so many white persons to do the work the colored 
people can do as well as the white people, especially when we know, 
as quite a number of years have proved, that the free colored people 
depend upon the white people to employ them that they may earn 
something for their support. 

But the abolitionists, it appears to me, do not concern themselves 
about their having labor or support. As this agitation of slavery is 
a great injury, and does much harm to the colored people, it is a pity 
it should not be put an end to. 

If the friends of the colored people would only go as far as the 
State of Maryland, a Slave State, only one day's travelling from 
New York, they would, I think, see they are the true friends of the 
colored people, for they employ them to labor, which gives them a 
living. 

In Baltimore, the colored people are Mechanics, boot and shoe- 
makers, carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors, masons, coachmen, butchers, 
barbers, brickmakers, boatmen and other ways employed ; and they 



23 

are cheerful/rad respected. Then you can judge who are the true 
friends of the colored people. 

We hear much of the blighting, blasting effects of slavery, and the 
great hindrance it is to the South in their prosperity in business 
and in population. 

A person therefore not acquainted with the Slave States may 
think there is not much there but slaves and masters, and overseers. 

If we will but reflect, we shall, I think, understand that the 
Southern States have a very different soil from the Northern and 
"Western States, and, that they cannot produce grain and grass as 
they do in the Northern and Western States. 

But we may know there is a great quantity of pitch, tar, and 
turpentine, pine boards, plank, and pine cord wood, that is from the 
South. 

The pine trees grow on sandy soil ; so they have a great quantity 
of that, and they have warmer weather at the South than in the 
North. By this we see the soil and the climate of the South are not 
much adapted to the raising of grain and grass, while the weather is 
so hot, that men cannot do as much labor there, to endure it, as 
they can in the North. 

But add the above articles to the great quantity of Cotton, 
molasses, Sugar, Rice, Tobacco, the Cedar shingles and we find 
quite a great amount is produced, and they are necessary articles 
for the North to have. 

I here speak of the population of the States, and make a com- 
parison between the Free and the Slave States, from which may 
be seen the increase of the population in both. 

The population of the six Eastern States— Maine, New Hamp- 
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut had, 

in 1850 2,705,075 

And in 1790, they had 972,781 

Now double the 972,781, and we have 1,945,562 

Now subtract this from the above number they had in 

1850, and there remains 759,513 



24 

By this we see that the six Eastern States have doubled 
their population in sixty years, and have over 759,513. 

The population of the six Slave States — Delaware, Mary- 
land, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and 
Georgia, was in 1850 2,733,075' 

In 1790 they had a population of 1,178,342— now double 

the 1,178,342, and we have 2,356,684 

Now subtract this from the above number they had in 

1850, and there remains 376,391 

By this, we see, the six Slave States have doubled in their 
population in sixty years, and have 376,391 over. 

The six Eastern States have over, as we see above 759,513 

And the six slave states have, over as we see above 376,391 

Now subtract this from the above, and there remains . . . 383,122 



By this we see the number of white people in the six Eastern 
states have increased over the six Slave States in sixty years. 

You see it is not much, after all they have said ; and I think this 
will surprise many, after hearing for years so much of the blighting and 
blasting effects of slavery. This has made an unfavorable impression 
against the institution of slavery and the Slave States. And when 
we take into consideration that the Eastern States employ so many to 
manufacture and to go on the water, and the increase of foreigners, 
it disappointed me, for I, with others, have heard so much said of 
the great hinderance that slavery had been to white people going 
into Slave States to settle, I thought it was so ; but I was deceived 
from the great numbers there are found from the Free States living 
in the Slave States. 

I will now compare the population of the Free States of New York 
and Pennsylvania with the Slave States of Tennesee and Kentucky. 

The population of the State of New York in 1790, was. . 314,142 
In 1850, the population was 3,048,325 



25 

The population of Pennsylvania in 1790, was 424,099 

In 1S50 it was 2,258,160 

The population of the two States amount to 5,306,485 

Take the increase of these two States together, and they 
have doubled seven times in sixty years. 

The population of the State of Tennessee in 1790, was. . 32,013 

The population in 1850, was 756,836 

The population of the State of Kentucky in 1790, was. . 61,133 

In 1850, it was 761 4^3 

The population of the two States amount to 1,518,249 

The white population in these two Slave States have doubled 
in sixty years fifteen times. By this, we see that two Slave States 
have doubled in white population twice as fast as the two greatest 
States in the Union, with all their great increase of foreigners, com- 
merce, manufactories, railroads, canals, and the great trade from the 
other States. 

I think many honest persons who have not examined this before, 
will be surprised, after hearing so much of the great hindrance 
slavery has been to the prosperity and the population of white peo- 
ple in Slave States. 

I would not give such leaders any support, by my vote ; for surely, 
it appears wrong to encourage those who deceive us. They have 
not only deceived me, but I think they have many others, and 
proved by their works for twenty years, that they have not, so far as 
I know, done the colored people any good ; but they have, I believe, 
done them a great injury, which proves to me that they were not 
competent to do such business, and should not have the support of 
the people any further. Twenty years is a great while to suffer by 
the experiment of others. The slave has suffered that time by the 
abolitionist, I believe. 

As the politicians and others in the State of Ohio who meddle so 



26 

much with the people of Kentucky, concerning their slaves, and as 
some may think they may do something to stop slavery in Kentucky, 
I here show the number of the slaves there ; and you will see by the 
great increase, that the few the abolitionists persuade away, would 
scarcely be missed there. In the State of Kentucky there were in 
1790, 114 free colored persons. In 1S50, there were 10,011. By this 
we see a great increase of free colored people. 

In 1790, there were 11,S30 slaves. 

In 1850, there were 210,9S1 slaves there. 

Here we notice a great increase of slaves. So it will take a long 
time for the agitators of Ohio to stop slavery in Kentucky ; but they 
may continue to injure the slaves. A part of the agitators, I pre- 
sume, would not stop slavery there, if they could ; for I do not doubt 
but that they get office by it. They are also elected members of 
Congess, when they would not be, I believe, if they were not aboli- 
tionists. 

I was at Washington at the extra session of Congress, in the sum- 
mer of 1S54, and I particularly noticed some of the abolitionist mem- 
bers. It was my opinion, that Ohio, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, 
did each State have a senator, it would not have had there, if 
he had not been an abolitionist ; for I do not believe these States 
have so much degenerated in their population that they have not bet- 
ter men. 

I think it would be very strange to find 10 r 011 free colored 
people in the State of Kentucky, if the white people there were aris- 
tocrats — as slaveholders are called — when they have only to cross 
the Ohio river, and there they are, among, as they of course profess 
to be, real republicans, in Ohio. After all that is said, we have only 
to investigate the subject, and we shall find that those who are the 
best and true friends of the free colored people, are those who em- 
ploy them ; and the best friends of the slaves, are those who do not 
meddle with the South, for they are far better judges what is for. 
their good 

At a house where I boarded, there was a lady from one of the 
West India Islands, about fifty years of age. She said she was 
born and brought up there, and lived there, and had seen slaves 



27 

brought there from Africa occasionally during her whole life. She 
spoke to them about going back to Africa, and asked them if 
they wished to go back. She says they replied that they did not 
want to go back, for they did not fare as well in Africa as they did 
there. 

They said they had slaves in Africa ; they also said the white 
man was superior to them, and that they were willing to labor 
for him. 

From good authority I state, that the natives, in parts of Africa, 
are in a truly wretched state. Some of their children are sacrificed, 
and they perish in an awful way. 

It appears, if Africa is to be civilized and Christianized, it must 
be done by those colored people who are to go there from this 
country. The natives have sunk so low, it appears necessary that 
they should be brought from there here ; and after living here, they 
will improve in intellect, as they have done, and "will continue to do 
till they learn to imitate and to do all kinds of work necessary to a 
civilized and Christian community. 

They are improving ; and it appears Africa is to be civilized and 
Christianized in this way, and is thus to receive her compensation 
for all she has lost by the slave trade. 

The people know how the colored people are treated in the 
Free States, and they can form some opinion who are the most 
merciful. 

The cause of their increasing so fast in the Slave States, is 
because they are treated as if they were human creatures. 

In the Free States, they are, I believe, treated so bad they are 
discouraged, and neglect to take care of their children. Many 
die for want of proper care. The grown persons fall into bad 
habits from being oppressed and discouraged, live a wretched life, 
and die a miserable death. 

It appears to me, the colored missionaries are to come from 
the South, where the people are already preparing them to fill 
important places. 

As the bees find the flowers, so do the free colored people find the 



28 

republicans south, who are their true friends, and shun the aristocrats 
in the North. 

I should have published this ten months before if sickness and 
business had not prevented me. 

With respect, 

WILLIAM JAGGER. 

October, 1856, 





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